Always First
by zeroshiki-san
Summary: Companion fic to Broken Love. To the world you are one person, but to one person you are the world.


**Disclaimer: I've given up. It is never going to be mine.**

**A/N: You should probably read _Broken Love _first to understand the omake. Well, to understand the whole thing, actually. This was a lot less angsty in Tezuka's POV.  
**

* * *

No matter who challenges Tezuka and calls him their ultimate rival, Fuji would always be number 1. To him, _he_ was the one who held the most importance in his life.

Ever since they had gotten together, the other boy had supported him, in a way that made Tezuka feel that he was always in a very familiar and comfortable environment. He never forced Tezuka into anything, although he certainly disapproved of some things he did.

The first was ruining his arm for Seigaku. And against _Atobe_, who Tezuka knew Fuji had never liked in the first place. Although Fuji said nothing, he did not smile anymore while he tended to his arm or instigate pointless conversations for the sole purpose of lulling Tezuka into his comfort zone. Tezuka regretted going all out against Atobe then, but did not regret going all out for Seigaku.

Once during a practice rally, Tezuka mentioned how his training of Echizen was going. It could've been his imagination—then again, Tezuka never imagined anything—but it seemed like Fuji was colder to him for the next week. In an effort to ease the growing aura of tension between them, Tezuka invited him to the park over the weekend (they were never called dates) in an attempt to appease the tensai. Fuji, smiling as always, said to him, "And miss training Echizen? I shouldn't take you away." and brushed by him to head out of the clubroom.

Tezuka realized that something was wrong.

Fuji was slowly growing more distant to him and their get-togethers that had been weekly turned monthly then disappeared. There was no more comforting voice, benign yet almost painfully peaceful presence, or secret smile that always meant that Fuji had a secret. Tezuka actually didn't see much of the brunet at all; there was no time. Echizen had to be trained, Atobe had to be mitigated (via fishing trips), and tennis hzd to be played (there wasn't much of a difference there).

It was with an apathetic expression but a heavy heart that he told Fuji of his rehabilitation in Germany. And as a last attempt to keep their relationship together, he made a promise. A promise that they had made in 1st year but had never fulfilled. A promise for that destined match.

Fuji smiled at him (still a little forceful, Tezuka noticed) and wished him luck.

And so he left.

Calls were not commonplace between the two, nor were emails, but they both tried to keep in touch. After a two week period in which Fuji did not communicate with him, Tezuka got worried and asked Oishi what had happened. Upon learning about his partner's severe injury in the match against Rikkaidai, he dialed Fuji's number the minute their time zones overlapped (not minding that he had to stay up to about 4 in the morning to wait for a decent time).

"Moshi moshi?"

"Fuji-san, may I speak to your brother, please?"

"Yuuta or Syusuke?" she asked teasingly.

"Fuji-san, this is urgent."

Yumiko, understanding without asking (very much like her brother), gave the phone to the person Tezuka needed to hear from most at that moment.

"Hello?"

"Fuji," Tezuka barely refrained from sighing in relief. "Are you alright? I heard your knee is damaged."

"Ah, Tezuka…" Fuji sounded surprised. Tezuka couldn't blame him. "I'm okay. It will heal in a week or two."

"Don't stray from the doctor's orders," Tezuka reminded strictly. "Get plenty of rest. And drink lots of fluids."

"Tezuka, it's my knee." Fuji giggled, though the sound was hollow. "I doubt fluids will speed up the healing process."

"Just…don't hurt yourself," Tezuka said softly. It held a sickening resemblance to pleading. "I…miss you."

There was silence for a long moment. "…I miss you too, Tezuka. And I'll be careful. Come back soon, ne?"

"Aah," Tezuka agreed. "Bye."

"…Bye."

When he returned as a temporary coach for the Senbatsu training camp, Fuji seemed joyful and was getting along well with members of rival schools. All in all, he seemed content and happy, so Tezuka did not go out of his way to greet him. Nothing was wrong. He was always smiling...

Months before Nationals approached, Fuji confronted Tezuka in the student council office and broke up with him. Tezuka, although very skilled at maintaining a calm mask of apathy, couldn't help but reveal his emotions. He was surprised, for one. He didn't think things had gotten that bad. Shock also made an appearance in his mind. It was hard to grasp that they would no longer be together. And he was hurt. He was not used to rejection, and although this wasn't rejection per say, Fuji was breaking the bond they had together in their relationship and that didn't sting any less.

This in addition to Nationals soon approaching led Tezuka to become even more socially closed off than before. Fuji's determined avoiding of him didn't make it any better. And worse, Tezuka could see Fuji's misery when he was with Kawamura and Kikumaru. It was lessened by the presence of his friends, yes, but still there.

When the tournament was less than a week away, Tezuka couldn't take it any longer.

He found his chance to talk when Fuji was running punishment laps after everyone else had left. He'd had to finish up some paperwork anyway, so it was the prime time to corner the tensai. After watching Fuji run ten laps, he approached. Fuji, as if sensing him drawing near, slowed to a stop without looking at him.

"…Why?" Tezuka asked.

Those crystal clear blue eyes then locked onto his with bitterness until he averted them to the ground. "My presence was no longer needed."

Tezuka didn't stop him when Fuji picked up his stuff and ran home.

Hyotei and Higa, although victories, were awkward for the team as they sensed the tension between the two strongest players. Eiji, who was more mature than he seemed, conversed quietly with Fuji in between games, and something he said must have comforted the tensai because he let out a tiny smile that did not feel completely fake.

Shitenhouji was also a victory, but it also changed the team, in a way.

Fuji lost to Shiraishi. It was the first time he had ever lost in an official singles match; the brunet was in a state of melancholy no one had ever seen from him before. Under obligation to observe his team's matches, Tezuka did not say anything. But a quick side-glance to the boy on the bench, sitting with his head hung low, had him thinking he'd make up for it later.

That evening, Tezuka took Fuji to a Mexican restaurant they had passed by on the bus ride to the stadium. Fuji was wary of him, it was obvious in his eyes, but after seeing Tezuka down five consecutive glasses of water to put out the spicy fire in his mouth, he smiled at Tezuka for the first time in a while. Tezuka found himself smiling back.

Then came Rikkaidai. It was the hardest win they had ever had to fight for and after his match with Sanada, Tezuka was admittedly more worried about having to leave Japan again for rehab than his actual loss. Fuji helped him off the courts—it seemed as if their rift had been mended, even if only slightly—and soothed the pain like he used to so long ago. Tezuka welcomed the familiarity of the routine.

After the Nationals, Tezuka brought Fuji to the roof of the school like he had months earlier and informed him about his decision to spend high school in Germany. The fake smile Fuji wore hurt Tezuka probably more than it did the tensai. It was hard to have that look directed at him—it made him aware of all the pain he was causing Fuji, even if the other boy tried to hide it.

When Tezuka pressed his lips against Fuji's, everything in their world righted itself from the turmoil it had been cast into. It seemed that his judgment had been clouded by tennis and tournaments and that his priorities were not quite straight. The line between Fuji's number 1 place and everything else had blurred. Now it was made so much clearer as Fuji's hands gripped the sleeves of his shirt and his eyelashes fluttered against Tezuka's skin. He would not lose sight of what was important anymore.

Because Tezuka would only ever see Fuji for now and for forever.

* * *

**OMAKE:**

A few days after the reunion party, Fuji and Tezuka left for Germany to enjoy the rest of Tezuka's spring break. They had settled in comfortably into Tezuka's apartment that was clean, plain, and undecorated save for a picture of the team that hung in the living room. When Fuji went into Tezuka's room to explore, he saw a picture of Tezuka and himself on his nightstand. Fuji couldn't help but think that Tezuka was too adorable at times.

"Tezuka, let's go to the church." Fuji suggested that night.

"Alright," Tezuka agreed, not even bothering to question Fuji's motives. After voicing his curiosity on previous occasions, he had learned that it was simpler just to go along with his partner's whims.

The night air was chilly and Fuji gladly accepted when Tezuka demanded he take his coat as to not catch a cold (under the pretense that he didn't want to be responsible for any illness Fuji met get under his watch). He smiled almost giddily at the scent of his captain inundating his senses.

Multicolored lights shined from the mosaic windows and onto the street. No one was there this late, of course, but the streetlights that shone through the windows caused the church to shine light on its surroundings.

"It's so pretty." Fuji smiled brightly. "Don't you think so, Tezuka?"

"I love you."

Fuji blinked. "Eh?" Whipping around to face Tezuka, Fuji's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Tezuka, as if testing the truth of his words. He must've deemed them sincere since a beautiful smile spread across his lips and he replied, "Aah. I love you too, Tezuka."

Tezuka smiled and Fuji found himself beaming even more than before. His rare smiles were so addicting and always raised warm fuzzy feelings inside the tensai.

"You're really random, you know?" Fuji chuckled.

"Close your eyes, Fuji."

Fuji heard Tezuka stepping closer and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes as soft lips descended on his and an arm wound around his waist. Sighing in contentment, he clutched the sleeves of Tezuka's sweater tightly.

And so, they kissed under the colorful lights of the church as angels watched over the two lovers from the highest Heaven.


End file.
